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St. Augustine Church Diamond Jubilee

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Chapter 10
THE MISSIONARY CONFRATERNITY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
 

     THE MISSIONARY CONFRATERNITY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE was introduced at St. Augustine's by the late Agatho Rolf in January, 1916, to give Religious instruction to the Italian and Slavic children who frequent the public schools of the district. This confraternity is a diocesan institution and was founded on June 21, 1908, by Miss Mary Dunn of St. John the Baptist Parish to carry the message of Christ to the great number of Catholic children in the outlying districts, where there are neither church nor school. In November, 1911, this pious lady introduced this missionary work also into the cities to reach the numerous groups of children of Catholic parentage who frequent the public schools and do not receive any catechetical instruction at home. Since the earlier parish confraternity was practically dead in every parish, the still flourishing Missionary Confraternity erroneously has been considered the only confraternity of Christian Doctrine. The Missionary Confraternity is organized in accordance with the principles laid down by Pope Pius X, in his encyclical letter of April I5, 1905, and by Bishop Canevin in his Manual of 1907; it is a lay organization doing catechetical work under the guidance of the priests. The teachers of the branch of the Alissionary Confraternity established at St. Augustine's have always been preponderately also members of St. Augustine's parish. Large classes of Catholic children of the district who frequent the public schools receive instruction in Christian doctrine every Sunday morning after the children's Mass and occasionally on evenings of week-days. In the course of time these children are prepared for reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. For instance on June 4, 1922, thirty-eight children of six or seven different nationalities received at St. Augustine's their First Holy Communion with great solemnity; they were instructed by five ladies of the parish who are members of the Missionary Cofraternity. On April 9, 1923, the sacrament of confirmation was administered to 24 boys and 31 girls of the Missionary Confraternity School at St. Augustine's along with the children of the parochial school. In 1923 no less than 47 boys and 46 girls of the Missionary Confraternity schools received their First Holy Communion. Equally large numbers of such children have been prepared by eight teachers year after year up to the present time.(1)

     Teachers of the Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine at St. Augustine's Parish from the Foundation in 1916 to date:

Miss Mary Purcell, now Sister M. Philomena of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, 1916 till about 1918.
Miss Irene Coleman, now Sister M. Teresita of the Charity Sisters at Greensburg, Pa., 1916 till about 1918.
Miss Olive Vandergrift, now Sister Mary Baptista of the Charity Sisters at Greensburg, Pa., 1916 to about 1918.
Miss Helen O'Connell, 1916 to about 1918.
Miss Mary Steinkirchner, 1916 to June 1927.
Miss Alice Bridgman, 1916 till?
Miss Amanda Fassel, now Sister Benecita of the Franciscan Sisters of Stella Niagara, N. Y., 1916 till November, 1917.
Miss Carrie Evrard, now Sister Mary Narcissa of the Franciscan Sisters of Stella, Niagara, N. Y., 1916 till November, 1917. (now deceased).
Miss Amelia Schillo, October, 1917, to date.
Miss Myrtle Flowers, 1918; still teaching in July, 1919.
Miss Bertha Pensalek, now Sister Rose Mary of the Franciscan Sisters of Millvale, Pa., July, 1919 till January, 1922.


(1) Cyprian Gehrling in: St. Augustinus, June, 1922, p. 9. April, 1923, p. 53, May, 1923, p. 70. 72, January, 1924, p. 13, February, 1917, p. 16, July, 1919, p. 9. 1926. p. 115, 1927, pp. 116-117. On the Missionary Confraternity in general see: Silver Jubilee of the Missionary Confraternity of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, 1908-1933, pp. 32. And Two Distinct Confraternities, in: The Pittsburgh Catholic, March 22, 1934, p. 13, and April 12, 1934, p. 9.
 

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Miss Clara Smolder, April, 1920 to date.
Miss Irene Smolder, March, 1922 till April 1928.
Miss Clara Marchelwitz, March, 1922 till June, 1927.
Miss Catherine Kaiser, April, 1922 till December, 1922.
Miss Bertha Hornickel, July, 1922 till?
Miss Anna Becker, September, 1922 till May, 1923 and after.
Miss Otilia Nickel, September, 1922 till October, 1927.
Miss Aurelia Conrad, January, 1924 to date.
Miss Meredith Murray, February, 1924 till?
Miss Gertrude Milcovey, May, 1926 till August, 1927.
Miss Monica Nickel, March, 1927 till December, 1927.
Miss Edna Brown, now Sister Mary Annetta of the Franciscan Sisters of Millvale, Pa., ? till July, 1926.
Mrs. Arnold Perzy, November, 1927 till February, 1928.
Miss Mary Louise Arnold Lang, January, 1928 till May, 1936.
Miss Clara Leisman, April, 1928 till September, 1936.
Miss Matilda Adams, May, 1928 to date.
Miss Gertrude Simon, October, 1928 till May, 1929.
Miss Clara Hartung, November, 1928 to date.
Miss Victoria Kaduck, February, 1933 till August, 1934.
Miss Helen Vukmanic, now Sister Mary Catherine of the Ursuline Sisters of Pittsburgh, Pa., July, 1934 till August, 1935.
Miss Anna Lakits, January, 1936 till December, 1936.
Miss Margaret Haas, October, 1936 to date.
Miss Margaret Hamilton, September, 1938 to date.
Miss Susan Mclntyre, September, 1938 to date.
Miss Gertrude Saar was teaching in July, 1919.
Miss Anastasia Miller was teaching in July, 1919.
Miss Mary Nickel was teaching in July, 1919.
Miss Anna Holler acted as so-called Fisher, i.e., gathered the pupils and led them to church and school, from May, 1926 to December, 1927.
Miss Mary Sullivan was teaching from May, 1928 till April, 1930.
Miss Mary Przekop acted as Substitute Teacher in May, 1928.

List of Children who were under Instruction by the Teachers of the Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine at St. Augustine's Church in October, 1938.

Balmer, Mary Thomas
Barbate, Nicholas
Baron, William
Bauer, Mary L.
Belansky, Ella, Albert
Bigley, Robert, Richard
Bossio, William
Brosky, Vincent, Vera, Catherine
Brunick. James
Bruno, Philomena
Bubanovich, Peter
Byers, Gertrude, Mildred

Carnes Theresa
Calderone, August, Marie
Carle, Anna M., Dorothy
Chester, Leonard, Eugene
Chester, John
Ceciera, Richard, Bernice
Civetus, Robert
Conrad, Andrew
Cubelic, Charles

Delac, John, Jacob
De More, John, Joseph, Matt
De Vito, Lucille, Sylvia
Dickson, James
Domatrovic, Mildred, John, Rudolph

Edowski, John
Evankovich, Alberta, Dorothy
Ewing

Faas, Madeline
Facetti, Lawrence, Robert
Falvo, Samuel
Ferguson, Irene
Frankelewska, Alfreda, Dol, Loretta, Vic

Gable, Harry, Helen
Gajski, Dorothy
Gibala, Anna
Gilligan, William, Margaret
Gizler, Jerome, Joseph, Dorothy
Goekler, Shirley
Gnewkowski, Walter, Florence
Godziuski, Theodore, John
Grimpe, Esther, Mary, Eliz.

Haas, William
Harenski, Jack
Harkvay, Helen
Hayden, Jos., Ralph, Ruth
Hays, Wm., Mary, Evelyn
Herney, Fred, Lillian
 

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The Bells of St. Augustine's
St. Raphael Bell, Rev. Raphael Mary Schwartz, O.M.Cap., Assistant (1900)
St. Joseph Bell, Rev. Patrick Leinsle, O.M.Cap., Assistant (1900)
St. Mary Bell, Rev. Charles Speckert, O.M.Cap., Pastor (1900
St. George Bell, Brother Ivo Litsch, O.M.Cap., Sacristan (1898-1907; 1915-1935; 1937-)
 

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Jakubowska, Helen, Stella
Janikowski, Henry
Juirege, Jesse, Thomas
Jesiolowski, Frances

Karlovits, Theresa
Kazynski, John
Kielb, Arthur
Killian, Henrietta, Leonard
Kirstein, Lois, Doris
Kobe, Helen, Anna
Kovach, Joseph, Marie
Krieger, Walter, Frank
Kriznik, Frank, Robt., Henry
Kruzewska, Agnes, Joseph
Kubiak, Marcella

LaPinto, Joseph
LeDonne, Edora, Verna
Liberich. Rudolph
Lipic, Jennie
Luniewska, Joseph

Mance, Jack
Manchester, Dorothy
Manuello, Rosetta
Majetich, Dolores
Matykiewiz, Robert
Mauro, Louis
Mikulan, Richard
Mistarz, Walter
Moran, Robert
Muto, Nicholas, Norma

Neumeister, Richard, James
Neville, William
Nicholas, Norman

Ordakowska, Rita
Orehorvich, Goldie
Orlowski, Richard, Robt.. Virginia
Ostraski, Frank
Oswaut, Richard
Otuich, Nicholas

Palermo, Gloria, Thelma
Palermo. Benj., Harry. Frank
Pasquale, Carl
Pelusi, Rachel
Penkowska, Dorothy
Perman, Robert. Genevieve
Pesa, Francis
Pesik, Marie
Pesich, Stephen
Plonska, Martha, Regina
Premozic, Edward, Frank
Pruszynska, Betty, Dorothy

Ralcewiecz, Joseph, Mary
Reeves, Irene
Rem, Eleanor
Renda, Lillian
Reymond, Joseph
Rhein, Marilyn, Joseph
Rice, Dorothy, Robt.
Rodgers, Lois
Roski, Leonard
Rutowska, Isabelle, Josephine, Rich.
Runco, Esther, Eugene

Schema, Geraldine, Lorain
Sekely, Dennis, Wilma
Senovich, Lena, Anna
Sestrich, Eunice
Shaginaw, Edw., Emily
Snicka, Theresa, Marie
Snicki, Norbert, Conrad
Slazenska, Ray, John, Leo, Anna
Stachowiak, Dorothy
Strzlkowska, Lorain, Patricia
Swiatkiewicz, Louise. Irene

Tatarski, Chester
Teese, Harry

Viric, Sarah
Vukelja, Frances
Vanels, Jean, June

Wacht, Raymond
Walters, Anna
Wasko, Evelyn
Wassel, Florence
Wiezorak, Chester, Henry
Wisinski, Robert
Wolawacka, Dorothy, Helen. Sophia
Wozinak, Loretta, Richard, Jos.

Yagatich, Jean
Yakich, Anna
Yaschuk, Lucille
Zlacki, Joseph, Betty
Ziolkowski, Rita, Theresa, Edward
Zivic, Jacqueline

     The foregoing list has been compiled by the teacher, Miss Matilda Adams. The list is complete; curiously there are no children's names beginning with "A".
 

SEWING SCHOOL AT ST. AUGUSTINE'S
 

     The Sewing School at St. Augustine's was started by Miss Mary Steinkirchner in 1916 with but one girl but it grew rapidly so that the class numbered before long as many as 50 girls. Certainly the number fluctuated at various times. The teachers who worked in this school are the following:

Miss Mary Steinkirchner, the Foundress
Miss Mary Lewis
Miss Anastasia Miller
Miss Emma Bracht
Miss Clara Roeser
Miss Teresia Hufnagel, now Sister Mary Boniface, of the Franciscan Sisters of Stella Niagara, N.Y.
Miss Alma Merdian, now Sister Mary Ernesta, of the Franciscan Sisters of Stella Niagara.
Miss Bertha Lattner, now Sister Mary Thecla, of the Franciscan Sisters of Stella Niagara.
Miss Alice Bridgeman also put in her appearance now and then.
Miss Gertrude Conrad taught in the Sewing School from 1921 to 1928.

The school is still in existence and does efficient work.
 

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